How much does a new boiler cost in Manchester?

A new combi boiler supplied and fitted starts at around £1,900 for a straight swap in Greater Manchester. Beyond that the honest answer is that it depends, and this page explains exactly what it depends on so you can read any quote properly.

What the entry price actually covers

At the £1,900 end you are looking at a like for like combi swap. The new boiler goes on the same wall, in the same spot, running off the existing gas, water and flue routes. The price covers the boiler, the flue, the fittings, a system filter and the labour, and most of these jobs are done inside a day.

That is the simplest version of the job. Everything that moves the price upwards is a departure from it.

The five things that move the number

The boiler and the warranty you choose. A budget brand with a five year warranty and a Worcester Bosch or Vaillant with a ten or twelve year warranty are different products at different prices. Longer warranties usually mean a higher spec unit, and the warranty is only valid if the boiler is registered and serviced annually.

Whether the boiler moves. Taking a boiler off a kitchen wall and putting it in the loft or the garage means new gas, water and flue runs, sometimes through joists or masonry. That is a second day of labour and a lot more pipe.

Whether you change system type. Converting a regular boiler with a hot water cylinder and loft tanks over to a combi means removing the cylinder and tanks, capping off the feeds, and upsizing the gas supply. It is a bigger job than a swap and it is priced as one. Our guide to choosing between a combi, system or regular boiler covers whether that change is even the right move for your house.

The condition of the existing system. A system full of black sludge needs a power flush before a new boiler goes near it. Skipping that is the single most common false economy in this trade.

The gas supply. Older properties across Salford and Manchester often have a 15mm gas run to the boiler where a modern combi needs 22mm. If the pipe has to be upsized back to the meter, that is real work and it has to be in the quote.

Why the cheapest quote is often not the cheapest job

The two corners that get cut are the flush and the filter.

Fit a new boiler onto a system full of debris and the sludge migrates straight into the new heat exchanger. You are then looking at a blocked heat exchanger inside a couple of years, and every manufacturer excludes that from the warranty because it is a system fault rather than a boiler fault. A proper flush and a magnetic filter cost a fraction of a boiler and protect it for its whole life.

The other thing that separates quotes is what happens when something unexpected turns up behind the old unit. A fixed quote absorbs that. An estimate does not.

What to ask any installer before you sign

• Is this a fixed quote or an estimate, and what happens if you find something behind the old boiler?

• Does the price include a flush and a system filter, and which type of flush?

• Who registers the manufacturer warranty?

• Who notifies Gas Safe so the building regulations certificate is issued?

That last one matters more than people expect. If nobody notifies the work, the warranty is not valid and the missing certificate will surface when you come to sell the house.

Getting a number for your house

Any figure given over the phone before anyone has seen your system is an estimate, and we say so. We look at the boiler, the pipework, the flue route and the state of the system, then give you a fixed price that does not move.

If you are replacing an existing boiler, our boiler installation and boiler replacement pages set out how the job runs from survey to certificate. We cover Manchester, Salford, Stockport and the surrounding towns.

Ring 0161 515 9977 or tell us about the job and we will come and price it properly.